What Causes Blackheads Anyway?
What is a blackhead anyway and how does it develop? Blackheads have been defined in many ways including small, black bumps on the skin or clogged pores. They have also been called open comedones in the plural or open comedo in the singular. They usually plague those with oily skin. The skin contains self-moisturizing components that are known as pilosebaceous units. These units are composed of a sebaceous gland, a hair, and a hair follicle. The sebaceous gland makes a substance known as sebum. The sebum is actually oils that are secreted by the sebaceous gland. Sebum is necessary to keep the skin moisturized and healthy. Normally the oils make their way to the skins surface where they are excreted. However, with a blackhead, the oils or sebum become trapped in the hair follicle instead of flowing out onto the skins surface. Bacteria and dead skin cells combine with the trapped sebum and begin to turn darker in coloring. The melanin or skins pigment becomes oxidized and the clogged pore
